Buying white asparagus: you should pay attention to this

Cutting plane

Go for juicy asparagus, they are the freshest. The cut surface on the underside of the stem must therefore not be dried up. Make sure there is a crust on the cut surface that should still be white or green.

If the underside with the stem feels a bit woody, the asparagus is probably not that fresh anymore. A handy tip is to press on the surface with your nail: if some moisture comes out, you are in the right place.

Color

Go for the shiniest stems. Check that the skin has no brown spots and that the cups are nice and white.

Squeak

A handy trick to check if your asparagus is fresh: gently rub two asparagus together. If you hear a squeaking sound, they are still nice and fresh.

Thick or thin?

Preferably buy them all of the same thickness, then they also have the same cooking time. Thick asparagus should also cook a little longer than thin ones.

Some people believe that thick asparagus is better than thin, but experts say that the thickness of the asparagus has no influence on the quality or taste.

Asparagus often says A, AA or AAA on the packaging. This does not say anything about the quality, but about the thickness. A is one finger thick, AA is two fingers thick and AAA is three fingers thick, so the thickest asparagus.

Buy the asparagus according to your preference. For example, if you are going to use the asparagus in a salad, you may choose the thinner one. If you want to serve them cooked with sauce and a poached egg, you may want the thickest you can find.

To keep

Asparagus dry out quickly. When you return home, it is best to wrap them in a damp tea towel and keep them in the fridge until use. They are best fresh daily.